RESEARCH PAPER GUIDELINES

By:

Your Name

Course Name

Name of School

Today’s Date

©2017 Life Christian University Revised 7-12-17

7/12/17 © 2017 Life Christian University Form: Stu-9A

RESEARCH PAPER AFFIDAVIT

This affidavit, completed and signed, must accompany EVERY research paper you turn in.

PLACE IT IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOUR TITLE PAGE.

■■ I understand it is very easy for my instructor to check this paper for plagiarism.

■■ I HEREBY CONFIRM THAT THIS PAPER IS NOT PLAGIARIZED*.

STUDENT SIGNATURE: _____________________________________ DATE: _______________

PRINT NAME: ____________________________________________________

COURSE TITLE: __________________________________________________

* Stiff penalties exist for plagiarism. See your Student Handbook. Repeat offenders will be subject to dismissal.

PREVENTING PLAGIARISM CHECKLIST

1. Did you quote, copy, or copy/paste any information from either printed material or from theInternet?

■■ Yes ■■ No

2. If yes, does the total of all copied information make up more than 20% of your paper? ■■ Yes ■■ NoIf yes, you must rewrite your paper and paraphrase the additional quoted material using yourown original sentence structure and words.

PROPER DOCUMENTATION OF QUOTED MATERIAL:

3. Did you enclose all quoted, copied, or copy/pasted information in quotation marks?■■ Yes ■■ No

4. Did you give proper credit to the author(s) as shown in your Research Paper Guidelines?■■ Yes ■■ No

5. Did you list the source(s) of all quoted or copied information in your Bibliography?■■ Yes ■■ No

NOTE: If you answered “No” to Questions 3, 4, or 5, you must rewrite your paper, being sureto enclose all quoted or copied information in quotation marks, give proper credit to theauthor(s), and list the source(s) in your Bibliography.

©2017 Life Christian University LCUONLINE®

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................. 1

I. Grading Guidelines....................................................................................................... 1

II. Research Paper Guidelines........................................................................................... 2

III. Choosing Your Topic ................................................................................................... 3

IV. Main Topics in the Body of the Research Paper ......................................................... 3

The Importance of Subtopics ....................................................................................... 4

V. Research Your Topic.................................................................................................... 4

VI. How To Give Credit for Quoted Material .................................................................... 5

Proving Your Point with Scriptures ............................................................................. 6

Quoting from the Internet............................................................................................. 7

The Order of Punctuation ............................................................................................. 7

VII. How To Do a Bibliography .......................................................................................... 7

VIII. Proofread Your Paper................................................................................................... 9

CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................... 9

Addendum on Plagiarism ...................................................................................................... 10

BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................. 13

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RESEARCH PAPER GUIDELINES

INTRODUCTION

Writing is a vital part of any college experience. Writing a college paper encourages you

to gather thoughts from other sources (including references from Scripture), formulate your own

conclusions, and then express them in a logical and cohesive manner. These Research Paper

Guidelines give students an example of how to handle a title page, a table of contents page, the

introduction, the body of the paper, the conclusion, and the bibliography. Your paper should

look like this document, printed on a single side of the paper. A template is available online.1

I. GRADING GUIDELINES2

The following chart shows how points are awarded when grading course papers.

50% Content of the paper (What ideas were presented? What conclusions were made?)

25% Research (Was the course text read? Was additional research performed? Was this

demonstrated through the use of quoted material?)

10% Delivery & Style (Was correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence

construction used?)

15% Presentation (Were the Research Paper Guidelines followed? Was there an

introduction? Was there a thesis statement? Were correct in-text references made

for quoted works? Was there a conclusion? Was there a bibliography? Was the

bibliography correctly formatted?)

1 For a Microsoft Word template, go to www.lcus.edu. Log-in as a student, then choose “LCU Document Master”

then “Writing Guidelines.” Download Research Paper Template. Simply highlight the words on each line, and

type your own information onto the title page. Continue to highlight and replace the paragraphs in the template

with your own paper’s main topics, subtopics, and information.

2 These grading guidelines apply to general course papers for both undergraduate and graduate students. Only

portions apply to a Master’s thesis or a Doctoral dissertation. Master’s Thesis or Dissertation Writing Guidelines

and templates are also available on the LCU website.

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II. RESEARCH PAPER GUIDELINES

Every research paper must be typewritten using a 12-point business-like font. The

finished paper should be fastened at the top left with a staple for easy review and grading. No

other fancy cover is needed or required. All pages except the title page and table of contents

should be numbered at the bottom in the center of the page. Each page should have margins of 1”

on the left, right, top, and bottom. Typing should be double-spaced. Indent the first line of each

new paragraph 1/2”. Do not use extra space between paragraphs.

Research papers include the following: a title page, a table of contents page (optional for

6-page papers), the body of the research paper, and a bibliography. The title page, table of

contents page, and bibliography do not count toward the required number of pages.

The title page includes the title, your name, the course name, name of the school and the

date of the paper. The title page of these Research Paper Guidelines is an example of an

acceptable title page.

The information on the table of contents page helps the reader better understand the

paper’s content. It also helps the writer make sure there is a logical flow of thought. Each section

of the paper (Introduction, Conclusion, and Bibliography) and the main topics and subtopics

should be listed followed by the correct page number. The table of contents page of these

Research Paper Guidelines is an example of an acceptable table of contents. (Note: A table of

contents is required for a 12-page graduate-level paper.)

The title of the paper should be centered at the top of page 1. Use capital letters, in a

bold, large font. Next comes the introduction, which explains what the paper will cover. The

word “INTRODUCTION” should be centered, in capital letters, in a bold, large font, with extra

space above and below the word. Your first page should look like the top of page 1 of these

Research Paper Guidelines. Within the introduction, include your thesis statement, a sentence or

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two that summarizes the main point of your paper and gives your point of view. The rest of your

paper gathers and organizes evidence to convince the reader of the validity of your position.

III. CHOOSING YOUR TOPIC

How do you choose what to write on? Your topic should definitely be something covered

in the course that sparks your interest, something you would like to find out more about. One

way to gather inspiration is to make a habit of writing down after class each week the things that

struck you the most during that session. Then when it comes time to choose your topic, you will

have a whole list of ideas to choose from. A second way is to ask Jesus: “Lord, what do You

want me to write?”

In course papers, students should record illuminations and insights they have received

while studying the course. A sample format for a paper could be:

1. Introduction which engages the curiosity of the reader and gives your point of view in

a thesis statement

2. What does Jesus (or the Bible) say about this topic?

3. What insights have you received from studying these scriptures?

4. Find other scriptures to back up your insights.

5. Compare your insights with what other resources (lecture, textbook, commentaries,

encyclopedias, writings of Church fathers, etc.) have said:

a. Where do they agree with your insights?

b. Where do they disagree with your insights?

6. Your conclusion

Researching a topic in this way has been called “the discovery method of learning.” It can

be quite exciting!

IV. MAIN TOPICS IN THE BODY OF THE RESEARCH PAPER

The main topics of the paper should be numbered in Roman numerals. Use capital letters

in a bold, large font, with extra space above and below. Please note that the main topics are not

centered, but are to the left of the page.

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The Importance of Subtopics

When you have subtopics under main topics, you should center the title of the subtopic,

but you should not capitalize all the letters. You should only capitalize the first letter of the first

word, the last word, and any other important word. Do not put extra space above or below it.

Other Divisions

If it is necessary to divide further under the subtopics, you should start writing the title at

the far left of the page. The title should be in bold face letters, and the first letter of the first

word, the last word, and any other important word should be capitalized.

Be Sure To Make Paragraph Breaks

It is very difficult to read an entire page of text with no breaks or extremely long

paragraphs. Each paragraph should represent a main thought. When a new thought is introduced

to the reader, make a new paragraph. The average paragraph should have three to five sentences.

V. RESEARCH YOUR TOPIC

Research your topic, documenting any published works you have used. As you develop

your conclusion, the facts you have gathered from your course, your textbook, the Bible, and

other published works will serve as “witnesses” to add credibility to your case. You may include

items of “common knowledge” without giving a reference. Common knowledge includes facts,

dates, and concepts that an educated person will generally know. You do not need to document

such common knowledge when it is expressed in your own words. You may preface common

knowledge with statements such as “History shows…” or “Experts agree…”

Example: Most experts agree that vitamin C is good for colds.

When in doubt about whether or not a fact is common knowledge, it is better to document

your source.

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Report most of your findings in your own words – we are interested in your thoughts and

insights. Paraphrase and summarize what you have learned. Then use your own words to tie

together all the facts you have discovered in your research. Tell how these truths have impacted

your life. Give your own conclusions and tell why you believe as you do. Do not write a paper

which consists mostly of quoted material – even if you properly cite each source. As a rule of

thumb, a paper should consist of no more than 20% directly quoted material (quotes from Scripture

are not included in this percentage) and no more than 20% personal testimonies or anecdotes.

For help in learning to paraphrase the ideas of others into your own words, see:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/1/

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/02/

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/03/

VI. HOW TO GIVE CREDIT FOR QUOTED MATERIAL

When you make reference to the writings of another, you must give credit to the author or

source. You do this by putting the author’s name and page number in parentheses immediately

following the quoted material. This refers the reader to complete information on your source that

you provide in your bibliography at the end of your paper.

When you quote four or fewer lines, include the quoted material as part of your

paragraph. Be sure to use quotation marks. Give credit to your source as follows: “Put a

parenthesis, then the last name of the author, followed by the page number(s) from which the

information came, followed by a parenthesis” (De la Torre 9).

If you quote more than four lines, then they should be indented as follows:

When your quotation is longer than four lines (for example 4.5 lines), the quoted material

should be indented and single spaced. On a longer, indented quote, you should not use

quotation marks. Remember though, to always show where you got your information by

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referencing the work cited on your bibliography. Note: the parenthetical reference does

not count toward the total number of lines (De la Torre 34).

Multiple authors are cited in a similar way. Both names are included and joined by the

word “and, ” for example: (Weikel and De la Torre 47). In case you quote from two authors

with the same last name, write the last name of the author, and the initial of the first name, for

example: (De la Torre, O. 36). If you quote from two or more works from the same author, list

the author, a comma, the title of the work (in italic), and the page number(s), for example: (De la

Torre, How To Write an Essay 78). Even if you don’t quote an author directly but merely

summarize his words, you must reference this information. See the Addendum on Plagiarism

(pages 10-12).

Proving Your Point with Scriptures

When writing your paper, don’t forget you can turn to the Word of God as a source for

your research! It is best to pick one version of the Bible to use for all Scripture quotes and to

note that version in the bibliography. When a general note has been made, the author needs to

indicate the version only when an alternate version is used (Hudson and Townsend 134-135).

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not

puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,

thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things,

believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

No version is cited because the predominant version used by the author is the KJV.

Notice that words that are italicized in the King James Version should not be italicized when

quoted, since they were not intended for emphasis. Neither do you need to set each verse as if it

were a separate paragraph. The actual paragraph breaks in the King James Version are indicated

by the paragraph symbol (Hudson and Townsend 80- 81).

Indicate the use of an alternate version of Scripture as follows: “Love is patient, love is

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kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-

seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5 NIV).

Quoting from the Internet

A research paper is a document that provides credible facts and opinions by those who

are considered to be established experts in their field of study. The Scott Foresman Handbook

for Writers warns, “The Web is not a library designed to support research. Online information is

not (like library resources) systematically cataloged, edited, or reviewed. So you can’t treat the

Web like a library or assume that information you find there is always reliable” (Hairston,

Ruszkiewicz, and Friend 703). The authors further state, “Make it a habit to confirm any

statistic, fact, or claim from such a source with information from a second and different type of

authority – a published book, an article, a reference work” (707).

The Order of Punctuation

Notice the order of punctuation after an in-text citation. First, end the quoted material

with a quotation mark, then comes the reference in parentheses, then the closing period. If a

question mark or an exclamation mark is part of the quoted material, include it inside the

quotation marks, then give the reference and close with a period: “How shall we, that are dead to

sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:2).

VII. HOW TO DO A BIBLIOGRAPHY

“BIBLIOGRAPHY” should be centered, in capital letters in a large, bold face, with extra

space below the word. This is a list of books from which you gathered information to write your

paper. The list of books should be in alphabetical order according to the author’s last name.

Page 10 of these Research Paper Guidelines is an example of an acceptable bibliography.

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(NOTE: Tech-savvy students may use www.citefast.com to format a bibliography. To match

LCU guidelines, you must choose “Chicago” style.)

First, list the last name of the author, followed by the first name and a period. If there is

more than one author, write the last name of the first author, a comma, then their first name, then

a comma and the word “and” followed by the second author’s first and last name and a period.

Notice that only the first author’s name is inverted. Put two spaces between the name of the

author and the title of the book, which should be set in italic. After the title of the book, put a

period, then space twice, and write the place of publication. Give the name of the country if

published outside of the country where you reside. Then put a colon and the publishing house,

followed by a comma and the date of publication. A period goes at the end of every entry.

If the work consists of more than one volume, list the number of the volume you used.

If the person is not the author, but the editor, you should put a comma after the name and

write the letters “ed.” If there were two or more editors, write “eds.”

If using modern translations of the Bible, check the copyright notice on the copyright

page of each particular version. It will tell you exactly how that particular publisher wants

notation made in the bibliography.

Document an online source as follows: list title of webpage between “ ”, title of site

underscored, date of electronic publication (if known), sponsor of the site, the full web address

enclosed between < >, and the date you examined the site. See the example from the

Plagiarism.org website in the bibliography.

As with the title page and the table of contents, the bibliography does not count towards

your required number of pages.

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VIII. PROOFREAD YOUR PAPER

Be careful to proofread your paper before you turn it in. You never know who will

eventually read it! Check for misspelled words, typographical errors, and errors in punctuation.

Because writers become so familiar with what they have written, it is easy for them to skip

over mistakes. We strongly suggest you have someone with a keen eye and a good command of

the English language proofread your paper for you. We do not consider it cheating to have

someone proofread your paper. If you need help with spelling and grammar, get some help! We

are looking more at your ideas and your grasp of the material covered in the course than at your

grammar and spelling. If it is not possible for someone else to proof your paper, you can put your

paper away and proofread it after several days when your mind is clear. It is common for

professional writers to proofread their work several times to insure they catch all mistakes.

CONCLUSION

The word “CONCLUSION” should be centered, in capital letters in a large, bold face,

with extra space above and below the word. A strong conclusion is the finishing touch on your

research paper. In the conclusion, you should give a brief summary of the paper, restating why

you believe as you do. Do not add any new information at this point, since the conclusion is

only a summary of what has already been stated.

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ADDENDUM ON PLAGIARISM

We all have access to endless information on the Internet. People “borrow” or “copy” things

every day and freely put them on their blogs and Facebook pages. Most people no longer see

this as an issue. If something is published, it is “out there,” and available to copy. Right?

However, this “blog-style” thinking is all wrong when it gets transferred into the academic

world. So don’t do it!

WHY IS IT WRONG TO COPY-PASTE IN A RESEARCH PAPER?

Many students plagiarize – and don't think anything about it. The website “plagiarism.org” states the

problem clearly: “In a research paper, you have to come up with your own original ideas while at the

same time making reference to work that's already been done by others. But how can you tell where

their ideas end and your own begin? What's the proper way to integrate sources in your paper? If you

change some of what an author said, do you still have to cite that author?”

Basically, your research paper shows that you have assimilated the course’s content. You have

received illumination from your lectures, reading, and research. You have integrated these new ideas

with things you already knew. Your research paper is a chance to clearly document your own

personal thoughts and conclusions on the topic. It should be as original as you are! In this context,

plagiarism is a fraudulent act. Not only did you steal someone else’s ideas, you then lied about it,

claiming them as your own!

Schools are having to re-educate students about what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. They have

also developed systems that can easily check to see if sections of a student’s paper have been copy-

pasted. The rules on academic honesty have not changed: those caught committing plagiarism are

subject to dismissal.

NOTE: Those preparing for ministry should hold themselves to the highest standard possible.

Knowingly plagiarizing is lying to the Holy Spirit. How can anyone expect to be placed in

ministry by the Lord if they lie to the Holy Spirit?

We are requiring ALL students to visit “plagiarism.org.” Here you will find in-depth answers

to such questions as:

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What is plagiarism?

How to prevent plagiarism when writing by:

Planning your paper

Taking effective notes

When in doubt, cite sources

Tutorials are also available on such topics as how to cite sources and how to paraphrase.

Each of the 10 most common types of plagiarism is shown below, ranked from the most

flagrant abuse (“Clone”) to the least (“Re-tweet”).

Making it clear who said what

Knowing how to paraphrase

Analyze and evaluate your sources

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#1. CLONE

Submitting another’s work,

word-for-word, as one’s own

#2. CTRL-C

Contains significant portions of

text from a single source without

alterations

#3. FIND - REPLACE

Changing key words and

phrases but retaining the

essential content of the source

#4. REMIX

Paraphrases from multiple

sources, made to fit together

#5. RECYCLE

Borrows generously from the

writer’s previous work without

citation

#6. HYBRID

Combines perfectly cited

sources with copied passages

without citation

#7. MASHUP

Mixes copied material from

multiple sources

#8. 404 ERROR

Includes citations to non-

existent or inaccurate

information about sources

#9. AGGREGATOR

Includes proper citation to

sources but the paper contains

almost no original work

#10. RE-TWEET

Includes proper citation, but

relies too closely on the text’s

original wording and/or

structure

DOWNLOADED FROM:

http://plagiarism.org/plagiarism-101/types-of-plagiarism/

Used with permission.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chapman, James. Handbook of Grammar & Composition. Pensacola, Florida: A Beka Book, 2003.

De la Torre, Otto. Research Paper Guide. Tampa, Florida: LCU Press, 1987.

Gangel, Kenneth 0., and Howard G. Hendricks. The Christian Educators Handbook on

Teaching. New York, New York: Scripture Press Publications Inc., 1988.

Hairston, Maxine, John Ruszkiewicz, and Christy Friend. The Scott Foresman Handbook for

Writers. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2004.

Hudson, Bob, and Shelley Townsend, eds. A Christian Writer’s Manual of Style. Grand Rapids,

Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1988.

“Ten Types of Plagiarism.” Plagiarism.org. iParadigms LLC. <http://plagiarism.org/plagiarism-

101/types-of-plagiarism/> (accessed 13 May 2013).

Tolstoy, Leo. “Where Love Is, God Is.” The Book of Virtues: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories.

Ed. William J. Bennett. New York, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993. 158-165.

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptural quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture references marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL

VERSION ®. NIV ®. Copyright © 1973,1978,1984 by the International Bible Society.

Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

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These Research Paper Guidelines are not intended to be an exhaustive reference source for your future writing projects, but rather to provide a simple format for your research papers. For help with the mechanics of grammar and composition, as well as suggestions for the writing process, we suggest The Handbook of

Grammar & Composition by James A. Chapman. You can order The Handbook of Grammar & Composition from www.abeka.com. Search for item #174645 or call 877-223-5226. New books are $21.80 plus tax. Used books are also available at amazon.com.

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Printed student name: __________________________________________

Student signature: _____________________________________________

Date: ________________________________________________________

8/09/06 Form: Stu-10

REQUIRED:Please sign this form and turn it in to your

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